By Tiernan Ray

Microsoft (MSFT) CEO Satya Nadella today took the stage at an event in New York City focusing on the company’s Surface tablet computer.

“We want products and technologies that enable people to dream, and get stuff done!” Nadella said. “To get more out of every moment of their life. That’s the mission we’re on.”

“The question that needs to be asked and answered is, Why hardware? We are clearly not interested in building toasters and refrigerators. We are interested in building experiences […] These mobile-first productivity experiences.”

“We are not interested in competing with our OEMs when it comes to new hardware. We are interested in sparking new categories.”

“Can we design and build a device that takes the best of tablet and laptop and enables any individual to be abel to read, and to be able to create and write?”

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on stage at Surface tablet event in New York City.

Saying Microsoft was ready to introduce “a major step forward,” he invited the Surface godfather, Panos Panay, to the stage.

Panay rolls a video, snippets of various individuals and groups using surface in different contexts. (Very much reminiscent of similar videos shown in past by Apple (AAPL) of the iPad uses.)

Panay said the wave of tablet takeovers predicted by media had failed, because actually there are still a lot of plain old laptops being used in the audience. “96% of you with iPads in your bags right now are also using laptops.”

He notes the presence of a lot of Apple MacBooksin the audience, to much laughter.

Panay says tablets were made for lean-back styles of activity, such as enjoying a movie or an e-book, while PCs were made to get stuff done. “Turns out, 96% of the time you buy new things,” when shoppers go looking for computer devices. “Today, we’re going to focus on taking that conflict away. We have to remove that.”

The device is thinner than the existing Surface 2, but actually has a larger screen at 12 inches on the diagonal, versus the old 10.6-inch screen.

It runs the Intel (INTC) “Core i7” chip — big applause for that — and without needing a fan to cool the system, says Panay. “It’s fanless!,” he trumpets. Panay said the device is the world’s thinnest Core-based device.

Microsoft shares are currently down 8 cents at $39.67.

Adobe demonstrated its Photoshop Creative Cloud program running on the Surface Pro 3.

The Surface Pro 3 will go on sale for pre-order starting tomorrow, May 21st, starting at a suggested retail price of $799, Microsoft said. It will feature different configurations with different Intel chip models, from the “Core i3” through the “i5” on up to the i7.

About Tech Trader Daily

Tech Trader Daily is a blog on technology investing written by Barron’s veteran Tiernan Ray. The blog provides news, analysis and original reporting on events important to investors in software, hardware, the Internet, telecommunications and related fields. Comments and tips can be sent to: techtraderdaily@barrons.com.